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Plans in place to control mosquitoes

DEMING - As the calendar year travels into July, hot weather in Luna County becomes abruptly interrupted by the short – but prominent – monsoon season which brings much needed rain to the northern Chihuahuan Desert.

DEMING - As the calendar year travels into July, hot weather in Luna County becomes abruptly interrupted by the short – but prominent – monsoon season which brings much needed rain to the northern Chihuahuan Desert. The rains in the area also bring the summer pest mosquitoes and the various illnesses which they have been known to carry.

Females of the Aedes aegypti species of mosquito that carry the Zika virus have been found in Doña Ana County and local governments have been taking measures to ensure the mosquito population remains under control. Though this is the species that has been known to transmit the virus, no human cases of the Zika or West Nile viruses have been confirmed in Luna County or Doña Ana County this year.

The City of Deming has vector control in place for the mosquito population and it will soon begin to minimize the eggs and adult insects in the area. Efforts are already in place to control the populations by Entomology Consultants who conduct tests around the city to determine how the mosquitoes will grow.

“Generally they operate at one to two o’clock in the morning until sunrise, just because they like to spray when people aren’t out and about,” said Community Services Director Brian Reedy.

Luna County does not contract anyone to combat the mosquito population but have instead gives members of the community tips to keep families safe during peak mosquito times. The steps are set up to control the number of mosquitoes and prevent any serious population spikes that might raise the chances of an outbreak.

According to the Center for Disease Control website, Zika causes a mild disease with symptoms not severe enough for the infected to seek medical help and people rarely die of the illness.

Luna County government has begun to take precautions against the mosquito population this summer by publishing information to protect families from the pests with the most important step being to eliminate any standing water around. Bird baths, discarded tires, swimming pools and yard toys are the most common places for water to gather after a storm and can become a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.

"Entomology Consultants didn't really anticipate anybody to really contract (Zika) in this area, but there was one case in El Paso, so having that, they are definitely being cautious," said Reedy.

Though Zika may be linked to birth defects with infected mothers, serious complications from the disease are rare and the infected usually recover from the illness on their own. According to the New Mexico Department of Health website, there are only three confirmed cases of Zika virus in the state, with two being in Bernalillo County and one in Chaves County. All three were travelers who were infected abroad on their travels.

• Stay in places with air conditioning or that use window and door screens to keep mosquitoes outside.

• Sleep under a mosquito bed net if you are overseas or outside and are not able to protect yourself from mosquito bites.

• Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents. When used as directed, EPA-registered insect repellents are proven safe and effective, even for children and pregnant or breast-feeding women.

If you have a baby or child:

• Do not use insect repellent on babies younger than 2 months of age (follow label instructions)